BaL 26.10.24 - Schumann: Piano trio 1 (in D minor)

[Pulcinella]

1500
Building a Library

Schumann's Piano Trio No 1 in D minor with Allyson Devenish

Despite his failure to become a concert pianist, due to injuring his fingers, many of Schumann's very greatest works involve the piano. The brooding, and stormy D minor Piano Trio came from Schumann's ‘time of gloomy moods’. But it contains one of his most heart-rending slow movements. It is the work's centre of gravity, with its aching dissonances and high-arching phrases. It is a quintessentially Romantic chamber piece, and has been recorded by many stellar piano trios.

Presto listing here:

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/works/27788--schumann-piano-trio-no-1-in-d-minor-op-63/browse

[smittims]

I return repeatedly to Cortot,Thibaud and Casals who I think have never been equalled

[Darloboy]

Only covered by BaL once before, in December 2011, when Erica Jeal chose Kogan, Rostropovich, Gilels with the Florestans as a modern recommendation.

[smittims]

Good to see the Florestans praised; I think they deserve it: I admire their Brahms.

[gurnemanz]

Only covered by BaL once before, in December 2011, when Erica Jeal chose Kogan, Rostropovich, Gilels with the Florestans as a modern recommendation.

We had a thread on that 2011 BaL at the time with not so many contributions. I don't think I heard it. I've just renewed my acquaintance with this work which I have not paid so much attention to over the years - only the 4th movement seemed familiar. I listened to my two CD versions, both well worth going back to: Beaux Arts on Philips Duo (slightly annoyingly split between 2 CDs) and David Oistrakh, Lev Oborin, Sviatoslav Knushevitzky on the Brilliant Classics 10Cd Oistrakh Trio Box, the latter from 1947 but in pretty decent mono sound.

[Mandryka]

Gringlots for me, I think.

[french frank]

Beaux Arts on Philips Duo (slightly annoyingly split between 2 CDs)

Looks as though the three trios are not far short of 90 mins. There's the bonus of the Op 88 Fantasiestücke on the otherwise short CD2

[CallMePaul]

Why oh why is this reviewer consistently invited to "review" on this programme? Her session on Winterreise last season was probably the worst BAL I have ever heard - had I been looking for a first purchase I don't think it would have helped me one iota and some important recordings - recent as well as historic - did not even get a mention. Although I have had no formal musical training I feel that I could have presented a better comparative review based on my own knowledge of and love of the work!

Returning to the Schumann, I do not have a recording of this piece and would welcome a serious discussion with a more erudite reviewer. I am intersted in period instrument recordings and HIPP-influenced ones, so I am drawn to Faust/Queyras/ Melnikov but am open to other ideas and interpretations. I will not consider any recordings featuring Leonid Kogan. Fine violinist though he was his KGB involvement rules him out of court for mr.

[smittims]

Shostakovitch called Kogan the 'communist-violinist'. e.g. 'he played my concerto in a very communist-violinist way'. No-one could take exception to that!

[Mandryka]

Returning to the Schumann, I do not have a recording of this piece and would welcome a serious discussion with a more erudite reviewer. I am intersted in period instrument recordings and HIPP-influenced ones, so I am drawn to Faust/Queyras/ Melnikov but am open to other ideas and interpretations..

I'm very keen on Monica Huggett and Tanya Tomkins and Eric Zivian -- so I think you should try the Benvenue Fortepiano Trio recording before taking the plunge.

The Schumann trios are, IMO, a real summit of the 19th century piano trio literature -- at least as satisfying to me as Dvorak's and Brahms's.

[MickyD]

I'm very keen on Monica Huggett and Tanya Tomkins and Eric Zivian -- so I think you should try the Benvenue Fortepiano Trio recording before taking the plunge.

The Schumann trios are, IMO, a real summit of the 19th century piano trio literature -- at least as satisfying to me as Dvorak's and Brahms's.

Ditto - I was going to mention this recording but you beat me to it!

[Mandryka]

Ditto - I was going to mention this recording but you beat me to it!

I've been playing it this evening - Tanya Tomkins, the cellist, is really impressive.

[Nick Armstrong]

Why oh why is this reviewer consistently invited to "review" on this programme?

Oh I agree. I was quite excited at the choice of work (which I hardly know) until I saw who was doing the review

[MickyD]

I've been playing it this evening - Tanya Tomkins, the cellist, is really impressive.

I see the same forces have also done the Piano Quintet - looks tempting!

[vinteuil]

I see the same forces have also done the Piano Quintet - looks tempting!

... yep - over three CDs they do the three trios and the quartet and the quintet. As so often with chamber music, I find the period approach the most attractive and enlightening : certainly here - these discs a valuable addition to the performances by Faust/Queyras/ Melnikov

(like others here I find the reviewer chosen for this unlistenable-to... )

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